Stronger support for high energy-using small businesses

The Palaszczuk Government has acted to expand the role of the Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland, passing legislation in Parliament.

Member for Pine Rivers, Nikki Boyd MP, said small businesses with big energy needs such as bakeries and laundries will have greater support to resolve disputes with their electricity retailers thanks to the changes.

“The amendments to the Energy and Water Ombudsman Amendment Bill 2015 passed in Parliament will give more than 5000 additional small businesses access to the Ombudsman’s free dispute resolution services,” Ms Boyd said.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of local economies right across Queensland, and we want to make sure they’re getting the support they need so they can get on with serving and employing people right across Queensland.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland has told us that many high energy-using small businesses are finding it difficult to resolve issues with their electricity retailer, such as incorrect or late bills and connection problems.

High energy-using small businesses such as bakeries, laundries, small supermarkets and small food production and manufacturing companies often simply don’t have the expertise or time to effectively negotiate with their electricity retailer.

Under the previous legislation, the Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland (EWOQ) can only assist small businesses that use less than 100 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity a year.

These changes will allow non-residential small customers consuming between 100 and 160 MWh of electricity per year access to EWOQ services.”

Ms Boyd said the amendments also apply to not-for-profit organisations, community groups and amateur sporting clubs consuming between 100 and 160 megawatt hours of electricity per year.

“This is a great example of how the Palaszczuk Government is helping small businesses and other organisations in our community get on with delivering their products and services,” she said. *